What’s up, discgnerates! It’s The Disc Golf World, I’m Jefferson—and as always I’m here with the one with all the holes in his game, Swiss Cheese. We’re breaking down everything you need to know from the Konopiste Open, but first let’s talk about the PDGA’s new rule proposals—because they’re going to piss off some disc golf fans.
PDGA Rule Changes: Explained (and Roasted)
The big news this week? The exclusive Staggered Stance interview with PDGA’s Robert Leonard, where he broke down these proposed rule changes. And before everyone loses their minds—these aren’t final yet. Some are also just for the Disc Golf Pro Tour. Your local C-tiers are safe. Breathe.
Also—these proposals were written before the season, so credit to the PDGA for actually thinking ahead. Remember Waco’s in-or-out fiasco with Adam Hammes? Yeah, this stuff matters. Here are the five major rule proposals:
1. 801.02 – Ready Thrower: No More Thrower Votes
Short version: players don’t get to rule on their own shots anymore. Calls like OB, mandos, relief—those will be decided solely by the other three cardmates. The goal? Eliminate ties and “benefit of the doubt” drama. Honestly, I thought this was already a thing. Because come on—we’re playing for thousands. Can’t expect angelic honesty every time.
Bonus detail: If you claim you didn’t see the shot, that’s a courtesy violation. So pros—watch your cardmates, or get penalized. Consider this your warning.
2. New Timing Rules: “30/45/30” Rule
This one’s gonna cause arguments online. Here’s the easy version:
- 30 seconds from the tee, drop zone, or inside circle two.
- 45 seconds everywhere else (the fairway).
- Back to 30 seconds when you’re close again.
Why change it? Because the old 30-second rule was written for a par-3 world. Now? We’ve got 1100-foot par fives. Players need time to plan real shots. Plus—let’s be honest—people are already taking 45 seconds anyway. Ever seen someone use a rangefinder, go back to their bag, shuffle discs, mini, re-check the tree line? Yeah, that clock was toast ages ago.
The update also changes “determining a lie” to “addressing your lie.” Unclear if that helps, but Robert said players liked it. So… good job?
3. Time Extensions
This one’s juicy: players get two time extensions per round. If you hate that—look away now. Even better? If a player goes over but doesn’t call their extension, the other cardmates must call it for them. There’s no direct penalty for the first two—just uses up their buffer. The idea is to let people call time without being jerks, so by violation three you don’t feel bad giving them a stroke. Like… a third date situation.
But what if they blow past the extension limit? Then it’s a warning. Which is basically… nothing. My suggestion? Remove their second extension entirely. At least make it sting. But hey, I’m just a YouTube guy with too many opinions.
These are the big three. If you want the deep-dive with someone who actually helped write them, check out Staggered Stance for the full interview. They also cover provisional clarifications, Monday finishes, and more. The rest of the details are coming to the PDGA site Wednesday—or just tune in to the Spit Out Disc Golf World Podcast, also on Spotify. And if you listen? Leave a review. It helps.
FPO Recap: Konopiste Open
Every year the European swing sparks debates about quality of fields and who’s missing. Let’s just say it: Europe has a huge chunk of the top FPO talent. Six of the top 20 are European, including arguably the sport’s most dominant and marketable player right now.
For the newcomers: yes, it’s a big deal. And yes, time zones suck for US fans. But despite all the hand-wringing about who’s not there, the Kona Peach Day Open had plenty to showcase—even with another dominant Kristen Tattar win.
Highlights:
- Rachel Turton led after day one with an 8-under.
- Tattar closed the gap fast on day two, went bogey-free 11-under, and grabbed a 5-stroke lead for Sunday.
- Ida Emilie Ness, the teenage Norwegian, made waves with an 8-under on day two.
- Silva Saarinen set a course record with a 12-under on the final day. Tattar still locked up the win with her own double-digit round.
- Anal Tulus, Monesty Silva, Saarinen, Turton, Anniken Stein, and Kaidi Allu all in podium contention on this scorable track.
- Turton closed strong to take third, with Ida Ness in fourth.
Bonus: Tattar had a seven-birdie streak on the back nine, including a 72-foot highlight putt. Which I’ll keep saying out loud because 22 meters just doesn’t hit the same for my American ears.
MPO Recap: Mari Vilman’s Breakout Win
Over on the MPO side, Mari Vilman had himself a weekend. He started with a hot 13-under, followed with an even hotter 14-under (1071-rated), then “cooled off” with another 13-under to secure his first Pro Tour win. MVP’s first sponsored win of the year, too.
And before anyone asks—I’m not debating if it “counts” as a real win. That would be disrespectful. Mari averaged a higher event rating than AB at Cascade, Isaac at Champions Cup, and Niklas at MCO. Counts enough for me.
Lauri Lehtinen finished six strokes back in second, and congrats to Ntorian for rounding out the podium—even if I’m butchering that name. Sorry, buddy.
Kayak Point Showdown: Buhr Goes Berserk
Meanwhile, GoThrow was back this weekend with the Kayak Point Showdown—some would say a tougher field than some DGPT events. Not that it mattered. Gannon Buhr played absolutely bananas. He shot 12-under to win by four strokes. UDisc had it rated 364. If Reddit’s math is right (UDisc rating x2 + 500 = PDGA rating), that’s… 1228. Which would be the greatest round ever by 100 points. Let’s just say the formula might need tweaking.
If you want to see it—well, you can’t yet. Ace Run Productions had tech issues delaying coverage. But Gannon did a breakdown on his YouTube channel. Worth checking out.
